Page 9 - Cyber Fraud

Around 1.1 million financial fraud cases registered in 2023, shows data

Uttar Pradesh was at the top with around 200,000 cases, the highest across 36 states and union territories. Next was Maharashtra with 130,000 complaints reported, followed by Gujarat (120,000)

RBI urges public to be cautious of fraud in the name of KYC update

The regulator asked customers to lodge a complaint on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (www.cybercrime.gov.in) or through the cybercrime helpline (1930) in case of financial cyber frauds

IndiGo Scam: Noida man loses 8 tickets worth Rs 72,600 after sharing PNR

A software engineer lost eight tickets worth Rs 72,600 as he shared his PNR with an airline trainee. The company refunded after he informed IndiGo about the scam

Fintech association launches awareness campaign about cyber fraud

Spotting fake lending apps and reporting online financial fraud will be part of Fintech Suraksha

Cyber attack cases on Indian cos rise 15%, 2nd highest in Apac: Report

The number of cyber attack cases in India increased by 15 per cent per week on an average in 2023, trailing only Taiwan in the Asia Pacific region, cyber security firm Check Point said on Monday. Organisations across the globe experienced an average of 1,158 weekly cyber attacks each, which was a 1 per cent increase in the number of incidents compared to that in 2022. "In 2023 India received 2,138 weekly attacks per organisation, which is a 15 per cent surge since 2022. Within APAC, India emerges as the second most targeted nation with 2,138 weekly attacks per organization, trailing only behind Taiwan's 3,050 incidents," Check Point said. Within APAC, India experienced the second highest surge in attacks at 15 per cent, following Korea's 21 per cent increase since 2022, according to the report. "Regionally, APAC led with the highest average number of weekly attacks, with an average of 1,930 attacks per organization, a 3 per cent increase compared to last year, while Africa witnesse

MHA think tank alerts against 'hijack', sextortion scams on WhatsApp

A police think tank that functions under the union home ministry has issued an advisory and alert against a variety of scams that take place on popular social media messaging platform WhatsApp leading to cyber crimes and financial frauds. The Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD) has identified seven types of such frauds that includes tricking through missed calls, video calls, in the name of job offers and investment plans, impersonation, hijacking and screen share. As part of the 'hijacking' scam, the eight page advisory-cum-alert said, the scammers take unauthorised access to the victim's WhatsApp (WA) account and request money from their contacts. "Some people also witnessed WhatsApp video calls from unknown numbers. These were basically sextortion-based nude video calls which were then used to threaten the user." "The hackers blackmail the user and ask for money in return," the BPRD said in the communication accessed by PTI. The BPRD is a think tank on policing ...

UP Police tightens vigilance as cyber fraud surge ahead of Ram temple event

Police in Uttar Pradesh have been instructed to increase vigilance amid a surge in cyber criminals trying to cheat people through false messages claiming to collect donations for Ram Janmabhoomi, besides providing free prasad and VIP passes ahead of the Ram temple event, officials said on Sunday. They said the government has sprung into action and is taking proactive measures to address and counteract these malicious activities as the state prepares for the January 22 consecration ceremony in Ayodhya. Circle Officer, Ayodhya, Shailendra Singh said police in the city recently arrested an Indian-American citizen involved in cheating people using similar means. The person was allegedly offering home delivery of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Pran Pratistha 'prasad' for Rs 51 to citizens of Indian origin and for USD 11 to citizens of other countries through websites and social media, he said. The accused was also selling T-shirts, silver coins and other merchandise themed on 'Shri Ram'. The man

Telecom department blocks more than 1,500 numbers linked to cyber threats

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) blocked international and local phone numbers associated with cybercrimes and threats, aiming to curb misuse of telecom resources

To cut a web of frauds, India needs to strengthen security systems

Job scams, Ponzi schemes, blackmail are increasing: Here is what can be done to protect people

Almost 200 people falling prey to cyber frauds every day: Delhi Police

Cyber crooks are targeting around 200 people daily in the national capital, swindling their money with different modus operandi, a senior Delhi Police officer who has been investigating cyber crimes said. The officer said the fraudsters in and around Delhi are using sextortion, work from home, online hotel booking, and online resale, among other tricks to dupe the victims, whereas the gangs operating from Jharkhand and Bihar are using scams such as KYC expiry, Android banking malware to siphon money from gullible individuals. Mewat-based cyber criminals are siphoning amounts using investment applications and websites offering part-time jobs, seeking OTPs to take control of victims' systems, and creating fake social media accounts for sextortion, he added. The Delhi Police in a recent post on X warned residents of the national capital of such frauds. "We receive around 200 complaints everyday regarding cyber frauds in Delhi. Most of these complaints are related to work from home, ..

Cybercriminals using Twitter Gold to for spreading disinformation: CloudSEK

'The ease of obtaining Twitter Gold has attracted malicious actors who are purchasing and compromising accounts to further their nefarious activities,' read an official release from CloudSEK

Over Rs 10,300 cr siphoned off by cybercriminals since April 2021: I4C

Over Rs 10,300 crore were siphoned off from the country by cybercriminals since April 1, 2021, of which agencies managed to successfully block around Rs 1,127 crore in the country, Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) said Wednesday. In a media interaction, I4C CEO Rajesh Kumar said that more than 5,000 complaints of cyber crime are being reported on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP) of which 40-50 per cent are based on frauds committed by gangs operating from China and "pockets of Cambodia and Myanmar". He said he did not mean "nation-State" are running the scams but "gangs" operating from these countries are behind the cyber crimes. "We have pockets of Cambodia and Myanmar. We are seeing Chinese apps. Who is denying?" Kumar said in response to a question. He said aggrieved persons can approach 1930 call centre to register their complaints and banks can block the money if call is made within and hour of the fraud. Around 263 banks and financial institutions ..

Over Rs 10,300 cr siphoned off by cybercriminals since 2021, says I4C

Over Rs 10,300 crore were siphoned off from the country by cybercriminals since April 1, 2021, of which agencies managed to successfully block around Rs 1,127 crore in the country, Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) said Wednesday. Over 4.52 lakh cyber crime cases were reported on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP) in 2021, which rose by 113.7 per cent in 2022, with 9.66 lakh cases being reported on the portal, Director of I4C Rajesh Kumar told reporters in an interaction here. I4C is a body established by the Ministry of Home Affairs to provide a framework and eco-system for law enforcement agencies for dealing with Cybercrime in a coordinated and comprehensive manner. Kumar said over 15.56 lakh cases were reported on NCRP in 2023, translating into 129 cyber crime cases reported per lakh population, which shows a "deceleration" of growth rate to 60.9 per cent as compared to 2022. "Rs 10,319 crore has been reportedly lost in India from April 1, 2021 to Decem

MP's e-Nagarpalika portal suffers cyber attack, data corrupted: Officials

Madhya Pradesh's e-Nagarpalika portal, which is the online civic tax payment software covering 413 towns and cities in the state, has suffered a cyber attack, leading to corruption of data, a senior official said on Saturday. Offline data, of which back-up is created on tapes every three days, is safe, he added. The portal oversees the mechanism by which citizens of these civic bodies get online services like birth and death as well as marriage certificates, payment of property, water and sanitation taxes, among others. "Following the attack, the e-Nagarpalika portal has been shut till Tuesday. Civic bodies have been told to work offline till the restoration of the system," said Neeraj Mandloi, the Principal Secretary of the state's Urban Administration and Housing Department. "The cyber attackers have corrupted the entire data of all 413 cities, but offline data, of which backup is taken on tapes every 3 days, is safe," Mandloi informed. Information Technology experts have not fo

Digital money heist: What's behind surge in online payment fraud?

More than 47 per cent of all cybercrime is linked to UPI payments, making it the most common form of financial fraud, says a report by FCRF

Kaspersky, IIT Delhi partner for cybersecurity talent development in India

Global cyber security company Kaspersky and the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi) have signed an agreement to jointly work on cybersecurity-related research and educational initiatives at the institute, the company said on Thursday. Under the agreement, Kaspersky and IIT Delhi will exchange knowledge and expertise, develop educational materials, organise and promote events to raise cybersecurity awareness, and sponsor merit (academic) awards or prizes to encourage IIT Delhi students to pursue careers in ICT and Cybersecurity, the statement said. This partnership will enhance the IIT Delhi graduates' desirability on the job market by adding IIT Delhi's educational and scientific activities of new training courses and programs that provide the graduates with relevant competencies that are in demand. Kaspersky, Managing Director for Asia Pacific, Adrian Hia said that the demand for cybersecurity professionals is expected to grow exponentially as India cements its positio

FinMin calls meeting of bankers to deal with digital payment fraud

The Finance Ministry has called a meeting of senior bankers and RBI representatives on Tuesday to discuss steps to deal with increasing digital payment fraud and cyber security issue. The meeting to be chaired by Financial Services Secretary will discuss issues related to financial cyber security and increasing digital payment fraud, sources said. During the meeting Indian Cyber Crime Co-ordination Centre will make a presentation on the latest statistics of digital payment frauds as reported in National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP), including challenges and issues faced in countering such issues. The meeting is expected to be attended by senior official of Department of Economic Affairs, Department of Revenue, Department of Telecom, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Telecom Regulatory Authority of India and National Payments Corporation of India. The meeting assumes significance in view of digital fraud witnessed by UCO Bank and Bank of Baroda in th

Sitharaman stresses on building awareness among people to curb cyber fraud

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday said there was a need to build awareness among people on cyber frauds and take the reins of technology in our hands to stop scamsters from gaming the system. Speaking at the 'DATE with Tech' event, the minister said to stop cyber frauds, where people are duped by way of a phone call or SMS, the government periodically reviews public sector banks, and regulator RBI reviews its own systems. Insurance companies also review their systems. "We are constantly doing what is required. Unless awareness, unless we are able to build that alertness in the mind of people that I should not go by anything that is said on my phone is built, citizens are at risk, Sitharaman said. She said at the micro level there is concern about people getting random calls putting them in a situation where they are getting trapped and as a result ending up losing money. "Those people who game the system probably are one notch ahead of us in terms of using and misusin

Operation Chankra-2: CBI searches 76 locations against cyber criminals

The CBI has conducted searches at 76 locations across the country under Operation Chakra-2 after registering five separate cases of cyber-enabled financial frauds, officials said on Thursday. One of the cases pertains to a racket siphoning off Rs 100 crore of Indian citizens through a cryptocurrency fraud, they said. The case was registered on the basis of inputs provided by the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), the officials said. Two cases were registered on a complaint from Amazon and Microsoft that the accused ran call centres and posed as technical support of the companies to target foreign nationals, they said. Nine call centres were searched by the Central Bureau Investigation (CBI) under the operation, the officials added. The details of two other cases were not shared by the agency because of the ongoing operation. The CBI has acted on inputs from FIU, FBI, Interpol and other international agencies, they said. The searches were conducted at locations in Uttar Pradesh,

Cyber insurance gains momentum in India, set to witness growth: Deloitte

The cyber insurance market in India is expected to grow by 27-30 per cent in the coming years, a Deloitte report said forecasting cyber insurance gaining momentum. The report indicates that the current Indian cyber insurance market is valued at USD 5060 million, maintaining a steady 2730 per cent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in the past three years. "This growth is expected to continue for the next 35 years, driven by an increased awareness of the need for cyber insurance," the report 'Cyber Insurance in India' said. It identifies industries heavily involved in digitisation, such as IT, pharma, and manufacturing, as well as those integrated with broader economic sectors like supply chain, retail, critical industries, and finance, to be the prime targets of cybercriminals. "These sectors are typically early adopters of cyber insurance," it said. The report included a survey of several Chief Information Security Officers (CISO), with 70 per cent of respondents expressing ...